Reclamation Commissioner Robert Johnson today recognized Reclamation engineers for their contribution this past year. These achievements were among those recognized during the 2007 National Engineers Week, February 18-24.

"Reclamation engineers develop solutions to issues that are specific to our mission of delivering water and generating power," said Johnson. "Their experience and expertise has helped provide for an infrastructure of safe dams and a water delivery network for a growing West."

This past year, Reclamation engineers provided assistance in working on numerous projects, including completing dam safety modifications at Prosser Lake Dam and Reservoir in Calif., working on the construction of the Animas - La Plata Project in Colo., and studying different water treatment technologies to develop new sources of water.

To commemorate National Engineers Week, Reclamation is honoring two engineers that provided outstanding achievement in their particular field. Blair Greimann from the Technical Service Center in Denver, Colo., is being honored for his work as a hydrologic engineer for his sedimentation research, particularly for developing a sediment transport model that has been used on several rivers to address endangered species, habitat and flooding concerns. Thomas Ryan from the Upper Colorado Regional Office in Salt Lake City, Utah, is being honored for his work as the lead hydraulic engineer for the region where he contributed to a report, "Summary Status Report: Modeling of Reservoir Management Strategies for Lakes Powell and Mead". This report modeled, analyzed, and evaluated over 50 separate scenarios for the Colorado River Basin States. Ryan also is the lead for preparing the Annual Operating Plan for the Colorado River System.

"Reclamation engineers, like Blair and Tom, always will play a key role in assisting us meet the water resource challenges the West faces today and into the future," said Johnson.

National Engineers Week is an annual event to highlight the work and contributions of the nation's engineers. It was first established in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers. For more information on National Engineers Week, visit www.eweek.org.

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Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR.